Tea Party Effort to Overturn Dream Act in Home Stretch

It can be said that the Redlands Tea Party Patriots' push to repeal the Dream Act is in the home stretch, said group member Lane Schneider.

“We’ve already gotten some (pages) completed,” Schneider said a few hours into a signature drive Sunday. “We’re getting some good response.”

Schneider sat with Suzanne Owens at a table in front of Stater Bros. near Alabama Street and Barton Avenue. Petitions and voter registration cards were spread out in front of them. A banner draped in front of the table featured a photo of Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R-Twin Peaks).

A former Minuteman, Donnelly has opposed AB 131 since its introduction by Assemblyman Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles). With the strong backing of the Redlands Tea Party Patriots, Donnelly is now leading the effort to repeal the bill, signed by Governor Jerry Brown on Oct. 8, through an effort he’s calling Stop the California Nightmare Act.

The legislation is a partner to AB 130, signed by the governor earlier this year. AB 130 allows undocumented students who meet the in-state tuition requirements to apply for and receive scholarships from non-state funds. AB 131 makes it possible for qualified students to tap into public financial aid funds.

“This is an expensive problem for all of us,” Owens said.

For several months, Redlands conservatives have held signature drives at locations such as Redlands Market Night. They will continue to do so over the course of several weekends, Schneider said. Though the deadline is in January, the Tea Party plans to turn in its signatures before Christmas.

She did not immediately know how many signatures had been collected. But members say the bill’s opponents will collect the about 505,000 signatures required to get a measure on the June ballot to put the measure to a vote.

“I work with a lot of immigrants here from Mexico,” said Melanie Smith, of Redlands, a teacher with Fontana Unified School District. She signed the petition before walking in to shop at Stater Bros.

If the financial aid and grant system is over burdened, she feared children across the cultural spectrum who are legally in the country could be left out in the cold.

“My main concern is that the people here in California are not getting the same opportunity,” she said. “Seems a little biased to me. I’m all for equal education of course, I’m in the public education system. But this is California, our tax money. I think it’s time we start taking care of our own people.”

Supporters of the bill, which includes the college system, say educating students of all residential statuses is essential and will not affect access because “the UC’s financial aid programs are primarily funded from tuition revenue.”

But many are not convinced and feel that, at the very least, the bill rewards people who break our immigration laws.

During a to the Redlands Tea Party Patriots, Donnelly railed against the problem of illegal immigrants. He warned that sanctuary cities must stop their practices of serving the interests of the illegal, he told the crowd.

“We don’t respect the rules,” Donnelly said. “Because we are run by a bunch of lawless thugs who control Sacramento.”